Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Guatemala

Name: Guatemala
Address: GT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Mexico versus $787 in Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,791 in Mexico versus $1,247 in Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,461 in Mexico versus $1,707 in Guatemala.

Living in Mexico is roughly 42% more expensive than Guatemala on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mexico 16% lower, Guatemala 41% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Mexico: monthly costs span $701 to $2,382, compared to $112–$1,267 in Guatemala. City choice carries more weight in Mexico.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 MX$182

$5.95 Q 45.37

76.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.93 MX$725

$50.9 Q 388

-17.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 MX$136

$6.47 Q 49.29

21.17%

Cappuccino

$3.42 MX$59.2

$3.52 Q 26.83

-2.84%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.83

$1.31 Q 10.01

0.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.98

$1.00 Q 7.63

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$40.81

$3.27 Q 24.95

-27.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$5.25 Q 40.02

-18.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$2.03 Q 15.44

-25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 MX$45.95

$2.68 Q 20.43

-0.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.46

$1.83 Q 13.92

-7.10%

Eggs

$2.35 MX$40.66

$2.26 Q 17.22

3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 MX$145

$7.39 Q 56.3

13.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 MX$131

$8.12 Q 61.9

-7.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 MX$187

$9.60 Q 73.2

12.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$47.13

$3.56 Q 27.12

-23.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.62 Q 12.33

-6.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.26

$3.27 Q 24.89

-41.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.14

$1.52 Q 11.57

18.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.07

$1.50 Q 11.40

35.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.49

$1.85 Q 14.09

7.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MX$22.71

$0.79 Q 6.00

65.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.26

$1.11 Q 8.43

-4.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$73.7

$3.86 Q 29.40

10.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.56 MX$200

$8.30 Q 63.2

39.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$27.25

$1.88 Q 14.32

-15.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MX$52.3

$2.88 Q 21.92

5.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.48

$1.02 Q 7.77

-40.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.28 MX$455

$12.81 Q 97.6

105.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$46.54

$3.54 Q 26.99

-24.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MX$33.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.64 MX$184

$10.15 Q 77.4

4.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.07 Q 8.15

23.36%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.1K MX$346.9K

$18.1K Q 137.8K

10.94%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.4K MX$405.5K

$22.4K Q 170.8K

4.60%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$62.4 MX$1,080

$58.7 Q 447

6.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.27 MX$403

$28.61 Q 218

-18.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.56 MX$494

$52.4 Q 400

-45.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.68 MX$600

$44.54 Q 339

-22.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.65 MX$323

$26.03 Q 198

-28.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.69 MX$81.1

$6.33 Q 48.26

-25.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$249 MX$4,308

$262 Q 1,995

-4.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,774 MX$99.9K

$7,973 Q 60.8K

-27.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 MX$904

$51.8 Q 395

0.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 MX$697

$51.1 Q 390

-21.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 MX$1,609

$97.3 Q 741

-4.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,515

$103 Q 788

-15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 MX$11.1K

$665 Q 5,071

-3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 MX$7,743

$436 Q 3,321

2.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 MX$21.2K

$1,318 Q 10.0K

-6.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 MX$15.0K

$695 Q 5,293

25.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,628 MX$45.5K

$2,252 Q 17.2K

16.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,563 MX$27.0K

$1,126 Q 8,582

38.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$825 MX$14.3K

$582 Q 4,438

41.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.71

31.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico: May 30, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $530 in Mexico, $218 in Guatemala. Capital cities: $1,022 in Mexico City vs $716 in Guatemala City.

National salary averages: $772 in Mexico, $698 in Guatemala. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 143% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 15% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 1000% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 11% higher in Mexico, giving Guatemala stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $690 per month in Guatemala and $1,542 in Mexico, there's a 124% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Guatemala is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Mexico beats Guatemala across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Guatemala, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Mexico, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Guatemala wins on affordability; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.